Obituary of Rebecca Reese

Rebecca Lee (Bateman) Reese, 57, passed from this world to her rest on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017.

She leaves behind her loving husband Tom Reese, her children Katherine and Josef, their respective fiancées Justin Stine and Sarah Starzec and her siblings, Margaret, Patricia, Dennis and Anne Marie. A great number of nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws, aunts and uncles, friends, neighbors and colleagues join her immediate family in cherishing her memory and mourning her loss.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Calvin and Rita Bateman, her brother Richard, and her infant daughter Rachael.

In a life that was far too short, Rebecca lived, loved, shared, empathized, nurtured, encouraged - and laughed. And laughed. An infectious laugh from the time she greeted family and friends at her door to the nighttime when she made sure everyone was settled in a guest bed. From the time she walked into her office, until the last co-worker left for the day. From the time she blew into your house - or your life - she enveloped you with laughter and love and care.

That care extended beyond family and friends. Her varied careers always directly involved helping others, from mental health institutions to libraries to school students and social work, her focus was on community and on people. Even in her last days, she admonished those grieving her to remember wounded veterans, people taken suddenly in accidents, or any number of those whom she said were worse off than herself.

As her parents before her, her final act of selflessness was to donate her body for medical research and education. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to be made to the Medical Oncology Associates Prescription Assistance Fund or the Wyoming County Cancer Society.

We mourn our loss, cherish her memory, and celebrate her peace.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday April 1, 2017 at 11AM in the Nativity BVM Church, Tunkhannock. Funeral services are entrusted to the Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc. For directions and online condolences please visit www.sheldonkukuchkafuneralhome.com